The Wabash Apache football team picked up their first win of the season on a 37 yard Hail Mary pass as time expired to defeat North Miami 37-31 Friday.

The first two quarters were exact opposite of each other as the two teams combined for 36 points in the first quarter before a scoreless second quarter.

Wabash got off to the early lead when Chase Dirig found Ben Dillon on a 10 yard scoring strike to give the Apaches a 7-0 lead. North Miami would answer the Wabash score with the extra point failing as the Apache lead was 7-6. Wabash would add to their lead when Dirig found the end zone from 13 yards out and with the Owen Yeadon kick led 14-6. Back came North Miami to score on an 11 yard pass then cap off the quarter on a 1 yard run to lead the Apaches 22-14.

Sarah Puckett, Wabash High School senior, signed her letter of intent on Monday, Sept. 8 to play basketball for the Indiana Tech Warriors. “I love the coaches and how it is close enough to home, but far enough away that I can stay there and be a college student. A lot of my church family works there as professors,” Puckett said of her decision to attend Indiana Tech. Puckett has been playing basketball since she was a child. At Wabash, she plays center for the Lady Apaches, but Puckett will be a three at Indiana Tech. While at Indiana Tech, Puckett will major in psychology and minor in youth ministries. Puckett has enjoyed her time as a Lady Apache and looks forward to senior year with her team and new coach, Matt Stone. “To my teammates, they rock. I love growing friendships with them and I can’t wait for senior year. I’m excited just to see how everything is going to go. I was injured this summer so I didn’t get to play with my team as much as I would have liked, but watching them grow and just get to our senior, especially with Matt, is awesome. I can’t wait to be a part of it,” said Puckett.

Although cross country is a non class sport, two local schools have been voted to the small school top ten, led by the Northfield Lady Norse being ranked number one. The Lady Norse received two more votes than Winamac. The Southwood girls’ team is ranked at number five.

The Northfield boys are ranked number four.

Posted on 2014 Sep 09

Squires win at Death Valley

by Gary Andrews

The football field at Tippecanoe Valley is known as Death Valley to many because of the odds of winning when you play there. The Manchester football team beat those odds Saturday as they used a balanced offensive attack and hard-hitting defense to beat the Vikings 27-20.

Manchester would grab the lead on their first possession. After holding Valley four and out the Squire offense would go to work. On second and 9 from their own 6, an arrant snap that went into the end zone was picked up by quarterback Lucas Schilling, avoiding a safety and connecting with Bailey Ness for a 17 yard gain. On third and 10, Schilling would hook up with Kellan Norwood, who had broken loose down the left sideline for a 76 yard scoring strike with 8:49 on the clock. A Zach Hill extra point made it 7-0. Valley would respond in the quarter, scoring twice and led the Squires 12-7 after one.

Valley was moving to start the second quarter when Kane Gable batted down a pass to end the drive. Manchester would take over on their own 10 and riding the backs of Jacob Casper and Evan Milam, moved the ball quickly to Viking territory. With third and 10 from the 30, Schilling found Norwood to the 10 and one play later hooked up with Casper for a scoring strike to lead 14-12 at the half.

After giving up a touchdown to North Miami on their first possession, the Northfield defense clamped down to pitch a shut out the remainder of the game to top the Warriors 14-7 and improve to 3-0 for the season.

North Miami took the opening kick off, using 8.5 minutes on the drive to grab a 7-0 lead over the Norse before they touched the ball. The Norse would answer however, using the remainder of the quarter and 2.5 minutes of the second to tie the game on a Shane Vigar 6 yard touchdown run. Kyle Heiser kicked the extra point. During the rally, the Norse took advantage of an offside against the Warriors, plus a 15-yard run from Josh Bickel and a 14-yard pass play from Carter Frieden to Vigar.

After each teams’ next possession went nowhere, the Norse would start a march down the field with 6:00 remaining, picking up 2 to 5 yards at a time before Jackson Beery broke loose for a 24 yard scamper to pay dirt with 1:12 left, as the Norse took a 14-7 lead to the locker room.

The Norse would open the second half with a ball control drive that took them to the North Miami 15 before a fumble and a sack stopped the drive. North Miami would then copy the Norse with a similar drive that went to the Northfield 27 before running out of downs. The quarter ended with the Norse leading 14-7 and driving once more.

The Southwood football team got in two and a half quarters Friday at Whitko before lightning halted play to be resumed Saturday. The Knights gave up 7 points to the Wildcats in the first quarter and trailed 7-0 when played was stopped.

The two teams resumed play Saturday at 5 p.m. with the end result being the same when play was suspended Friday, with Whitko topping the Knights 7-0.

Nick Rebholz, Kale Weiss and Tristyn Howell led the team with 9 tackles each. Blake Martz had 1 sack.

Posted on 2014 Sep 09

Apaches give Zebras a scare

by Gary Andrews

The Wabash football team gave Rochester all they could handle for 3.5 quarters Saturday, before falling to the Zebras 14-0.

The Apaches had a shot to grab the lead in the first quarter when a stalled drive forced a punt that was fumbled by Rochester and Ben Dillon recovering on the Zebra 22. Luke Proctor would take the second play to the 9-yard line and on fourth a goal, the Apache field goal try was blocked.

Wabash mounted another drive midway through the second quarter that started on the Rochester 44. The Zebra defense along with an Apache penalty stalled the drive. On Rochester’s first play of their next possession, Trevor Gray picked off a Zebra pass to give Wabash the ball on the Rochester 49. The Apaches couldn’t get past the Rochester 30 as they stalled on downs and the first half ended 0-0.

The Honeywell Golf Course and the Ladies Golf Association (LGA) are hosting the fourth annual Breast Cancer Prevention Scramble for men and women on Sunday, Oct. 5. The event begins at with a 1 p.m. shotgun start and concludes with a meal for all players. The scramble is a fundraiser to raise awareness of the importance of mammograms in the fight against breast cancer.

Proceeds will go to the Wabash County Hospital Mammogram Charity Fund. This fund provides for free mammograms and radiology readings for qualified women residing in Wabash County.

Lana Garber, secretary of the Ladies Golf Association, is assisting Mel Thomas of the Honeywell Golf Course in coordinating the event.

“Choosing to give our proceeds to the Mammogram Charity Fund allows us to directly help women in our own community,” said Garber. “Statistics show that breast cancer has touched every family in our county. Breast Cancer Awareness month in October is an ideal time for golfers, both men and women, to participate in a scramble for this great cause. Over $3,000 was raised in last year's event. Our goal is to exceed that this year."

“The Mammogram Charity Fund is directly assisting numerous women in our own county,” said Wabash Community Foundation Director Karen Newhouse. “As with all gifts to the WCH Foundation, 100 percent of the proceeds of this fundraiser is going to the cause to help provide free mammograms for qualifying women. I could share stories of how lives have been saved because the Mammogram Charity Fund was available. The Honeywell Ladies Golf Association’s scramble is a wonderful example of the compassionate action our community is willing to take to prevent breast cancer locally. ”